What happened
The pilot was operating an aircraft at a low altitude, flying parallel to an interstate highway. At the time of the incident, several employees of the pilot were traveling on that same interstate in vehicles. These employees observed the aircraft during its flight path.
During this operation, the aircraft made contact with a telephone cable that had a diameter of one inch and was traversing across the highway. The impact with the cable caused significant structural failure, bringing the aircraft down to the ground. The employees who witnessed the event believed that the pilot did not see the cable prior to the collision.
Findings
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the low-altitude flight and the subsequent impact with infrastructure. Key findings included:
- The aircraft was flying at a low altitude parallel to an interstate highway.
- A telephone cable crossing the highway was struck by the aircraft.
- Witnesses who were driving on the highway observed the incident.
- The pilot likely failed to see the cable before impact.